A talented young singer entering her final semester of her undergraduate work told me recently about her rather unexpected journey. She had attended a performing arts high school and was then accepted into one of the country’s top university vocal programs. Her years of study had been intense. Then, suddenly she was forced to take an unexpected break when she suffered a stroke. She took a leave for a semester and now, with that period behind her, she talked of the time off with a smile and obvious glow. The break was critical, she said, and was both physically and emotionally healing. Her body forced her to take notice of what it needed. She listened and was enjoying the rewards.
In a profession where you essentially act as your own boss, learning to evaluate your needs and what is best for you is not only important but critical. The college years are often a singer’s first experience discovering how to do that. It’s a time of coming of age and finding yourself and, often, it is your first time out on your own, calling the shots.
Soprano Christine Goerke, featured in this month’s cover story, has spent her career re-evaluating her own needs as her life circumstances and voice have changed. The proud mother of two discusses how she continued singing through pregnancy and a C-section. She also talks candidly about recognizing her need for a Fach change when suddenly her voice didn’t respond the same.
“This new repertoire feels easier to me because I’m not trying to be something that I’m not,” she says, speaking of her switch from lyric coloratura to dramatic soprano. “When you’re starting out as a young singer, you try everything that’s presented to you in order to determine where you fit. That’s not only fine, it’s correct. But once you find your niche, embrace it. I’m not saying not to go out of those bounds and sing something new—but if you know what your voice does best, trust it.”
Goerke’s advice is sound, yet singers need to be careful about trying out too much of that repertoire in public. One of the biggest complaints from all judges and panelists involved at the 2010 Classical Singer Convention was that singers were presenting repertoire that was too big or otherwise wrong for them. Look for this reoccurring theme in nearly all of the Convention recap articles.
When selecting a school singers often ask which is better—a big-name school, a small school, a conservatory, or a state school? In this issue we profile three very different vocal programs: the Academy of Vocal Arts, the University of Maryland, and Bard College. As you read the accounts of students from these schools, it’s clear that each singer excelled because the institution offered what he or she needed—from teaching bass-baritone Ryan Kuster how to properly prepare a role (p. 88), to helping soprano Jennifer Forni take the necessary though scary risks to become a chocolate-covered cherry rather than plain vanilla (p. 75), to enlightening soprano Celine Mogielnicki on the boundless career possibilities before her (p.55).
As the college years end and you move into the real world and the stresses of making a living settle in, listening to yourself becomes even more important. Megan Gloss tells the tale of three singers who each juggle singing and other careers to make ends meet. These singers discuss the difficulties, joys, and realities of managing so much.
“The balance for me comes from evaluating what I need and want and knowing how to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to certain offers,” says baritone Rob Woodin. “Sometimes, you really can’t afford to do a role for free or little pay, as much as you want to. But if it’s something you need in order to grow and network as an artist or something you would really like on your résumé, you have to weigh whether or not it is worth the risk.”
Whether you are heading back to school this fall, taking a few years off between degrees, just embarking on the post-grad life, or long-since graduated, may you find the courage, like my new young friend starting her last semester, to listen to yourself and be your own best boss.
